Month: May, 2012

I’m down to the very last ingredients in my kitchen. Just a few pieces of food here and there. I love trying to come up with a dish out of the food I have, especially when the answer isn’t obvious. This dish is especially easy and satisfying. The sweet potatoes are offset by the tangy queso fresco and the spice from paprika and jalapeno. I’d like to add great big handfuls of cilantro to this and maybe some arugula next time.

Oven: 425. Drizzle the sweet potato fries with olive oil and a dash of paprika, salt & pepper. Bake for about 30-35 minutes in the oven, or until the fries are browned. Mix the fries with the spinach and jalapeno and top with queso fresco and a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season additionally with salt & pepper as needed.

In other news, I just bought this beautiful cactus and it’s this spiny, lovely plant that takes on some kind of otherworldly attributes when I photograph it. Like some kind of prickly spider dazzling with sunshine blossoms.

Like this:

Fish tacos are one of my favorite foods of all time. They are so easy, satisfying and fresh-the perfect dish to start summer with. The fruit salsa offsets the savory salmon and the spicy jalapeno is balanced by queso fresco. When I’m in Reno I get my salmon from the coop. It’s some of the best fish around and they don’t take the skin off. The skin is one of the best parts and it’s rich in all the best oils-omega 3s, Vitamins A & C, calcium and iron and all the other important nutrients that aren’t covered by nutritional science- don’t waste it!

Mix the salsa ingredients together, you can add other fruits you have on hand, or shallots, whatever you want.

Season both sides of the salmon with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add oil to your skillet and cook on medium high-heat, for just a few minutes on both sides. Make sure you don’t overcook the fish, or it will be dry and flavorless.

Heat the tortillas on the skillet until they are a little bit crispy. Spread the salmon and salsa on the tortillas and top with queso fresco. You can also add a bit of plain whole milk yogurt or creme fraiche if the salsa is too spicy.

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Okay, I know I do a lot of pizza posting, but pizza is so good and there’s so many ways to make it and I just get so excited every time I create something that tastes amazing and really shows off the flavors of the season. I kept the toppings really simple because I wanted each individual ingredient to really stand out, especially the morels.

Oven: 500. If you have a pizza stone heat it in the oven while you prepare everything else, for about 20 minutes. Sauté the shallots, garlic and morels in butter on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Then spread this mix onto rolled out dough. Place the asparagus, tomatoes and mozzarella on top, grind some salt & pepper on top, and cook for 8 minutes or so. I usually broil for a minute at the end. Top with a dash of olive oil and Parmesan.

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This is a really easy spring wrap recipe. I make some variation of this year round and this is the early spring variety. It’s light, uncomplicated and fresh tasting. I can’t wait for farmer’s markets to start in about a month here. This is such an exciting time of year as all of my favorite foods come into season.

In a large skillet heat a few teaspoons of oil. Add the broccoli and asparagus, cover and cook for a minute or so. Add the kale, season with lemon juice, salt & pepper and more oil if needed. Cover and let the vegetables cook down for about 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked lentils to the skillet to heat. Cover and cook for another minute or so. Remove the vegetables from the skillet, add more olive oil, and place the tortilla in the pan. Spread the vegetables on one half of the tortilla, top with green onions and queso fresco and cover for a few minutes, or until the tortilla is nicely browned.

Remove the tortilla from the skillet and finished the dish with a big handful of fresh cilantro and cilantro-lime dressing.

Like this:

I like trying to put something together when I don’t have the typical ingredients for that dish on hand. My brother wanted me to make lasagna last night, so this is what I came up with. Make sure to cut the vegetables into small pieces. Serve with nice wine, and some Parmesan crusted bread.

Oven 375. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. As the water heats, sauté the onions in about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. After a few minutes, add the garlic. Add the goat meat and quickly sear it, then add the tomato, cover, and let the mix cook down for a few minutes. Stir in the broccoli and kale, season with lemon juice, salt & pepper and cover for a few minutes on high heat. Add olive oil as needed. When the veggies are wilted and a little browned remove from the heat.

Place a layer of pasta in a buttered pan, layer with the vegetable mix and cheese mixture. On the top layer spread the remaining cheddar, Parmesan and goat cheese. Grind some sea salt & pepper, basil & oregano on top and bake for about 30 minutes. Broil on high for the last minute or until the cheese is browned.